Kyoto Night Market will hold a special edition, "Kyoto Night Market Halloween Monster Night," on Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, 2026. The venues are the plaza in front of Kyoto City Hall and Kawaramachi Plaza (河原町広場) in the Zest Oike underground shopping street. The event is organized by Kyoto Night Market Project LLC (合同会社京都夜市プロジェクト).
Kyoto Night Market is usually held at Ohigashi-san Plaza (お東さん広場) in front of Higashi Honganji. This time it steps out of its usual venue and into the middle of the city, linking the above-ground plaza in front of Kyoto City Hall with the underground Zest Oike so that visitors can move back and forth between the two venues.
More than 60 stalls are planned, including food trucks, gourmet food, crafts, merchandise, and workshops. Over two days, food, culture, experiences, and entertainment come together in the streets of autumn Kyoto.
Yokai and Monsters Parade Through Above and Below Ground on October 4
The image is a promotional visual.
The centerpiece of the special edition is the "Yokai Parade" by SEF実行委員会・赤之四人衆. Yokai and monsters walk from the plaza in front of Kyoto City Hall into Zest Oike, creating an evening that blends Japanese yokai culture with Halloween.
Yokai Parade: Sunday, October 4, from 6:00 PM
On the same day at 5:00 PM, the Koyama Brothers (小山兄弟) present a Tsugaru shamisen show, with the brothers' tightly matched interplay and powerful sound.
At 7:00 PM, 桜雲-AUN- performs the "Acrobatic Ninja SHOW," which combines sword-fight choreography with acrobatics and lets the audience see ninja action up close.
Making a One-of-a-Kind Pumpkin Underground at Zest Oike
At Kawaramachi Plaza in Zest Oike, a Halloween workshop invites visitors to draw a favorite face or pattern on a polystyrene foam pumpkin. The finished pumpkin can be taken home, and the workshop is open to everyone from children to adults.
Dates and hours: Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Fee: ¥100 per pumpkin
The underground venue will also have other stalls and programs themed around Halloween and yokai.
The event also offers traditional performing art with a monkey performance (saru-mawashi), a rickshaw ride experience, a pottery painting experience, and a "Kids Shop Manager Experience" in which children try working at a shop, among others. These are activities to join in on, not just watch.
From Ohigashi-san Plaza to the Streets of Kyoto
Since its first event in June 2025, Kyoto Night Market has been centered on Ohigashi-san Plaza in front of Higashi Honganji. Bringing together food, culture, craftsmanship, experiences, and stage performances, it has aimed to be a nighttime gathering place in Kyoto that local residents and visitors from Japan and abroad can enjoy together.
As of the end of September 2026, cumulative attendance has passed 460,000. The 16th event in August drew about 76,000 visitors over two days, the most so far.
With this special edition, rather than gathering people in a single plaza, the organizers are trying to create a flow of people at night across the city itself by connecting the above-ground area in front of Kyoto City Hall with the underground Zest Oike.
Event Details
Name: Kyoto Night Market Special Event "Halloween Monster Night"
Dates: Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, 2026
Hours: 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Venues: Plaza in front of Kyoto City Hall / Kawaramachi Plaza, Zest Oike
Admission: Free
Stalls: More than 60 planned
Organizer: Kyoto Night Market Project LLC
Supported by: Kyoto City
Note: Performance details and times are subject to change.
- Official website: https://kyotonightmarket.com
Next: Back at Ohigashi-san Plaza
Two weeks after the special edition, the 18th Kyoto Night Market will be held at Ohigashi-san Plaza in front of Higashi Honganji on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
The first half of October takes place at the plaza in front of Kyoto City Hall and Zest Oike, and the second half at Ohigashi-san Plaza, so there are two Kyoto Night Market venues to enjoy.
